CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION: An introduction to classical ballet
technique, theory, and history as a performing art. Grade only. May be repeated once for
credit.Prerequisite:None

This course previously existed in the department of Physical
Education and Recreation under the category of Physical Development and Wellness and is
being transferred to the Department of Theater and Dance. This proposed course is designed
to satisfy the requirements in: Fine and Performing Arts.

This course includes requirements
and learning activities that promote students abilities to:

a. explore the language, skills, and
materials of an artistic discipline: Through the knowledge and practice of basic
ballet movements, the student will have a direct encounter with ballet as a living,
breathing art form. Students will be introduced to basic ballet vocabulary (spoken and
executed) and gain an understanding of ballet aesthetics including traditional ballet
music, dress, and values of grace, precision and effortlessness. They will be introduced
to principles of alignment, and will deepen awareness of their body through repetition of
movements in tandem with guided imagery and attention.

b. use methods of an arts
practitioner to actively engage in creative process or interpretive performances;
Students will have the experience of creating and performing an original ballet sequence
(2 minutes) based on ballet aesthetics and vocabulary learned in class. Students will
select an arrangement of movements in combination with music, dress and underlying
theme/motivation to create an artistic whole. The composition will be performed for the
class as a final project.

c. to understand the cultural and
gender contexts of artistic expression: Through video, lecture and discussion,
students will be exposed to the history of ballet and the changing roles of men and women
throughout its evolution. Students will view ballets that are products of different
cultures and historical periods, providing a context for them to appreciate the roots of
the discipline to which they are currently being exposed.

d. engage in reflective analysis of
their own work or interpretive performance and respond to the work of others. Students
will view, discuss, and respond in written form to ballets experienced through video
and/or live professional performance. Students will also reflect upon and assess, in
written form, their own creative process and product.

Course activities and assignments that address these Fine
and Performing Arts Requirements will be identified in the syllabus by letter (a), (b),
(c), (d)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The student will develop an appreciation for the art of ballet as
both performer and audience. (a,b, d)

The student will gain an understanding of the basic anatomical and
mechanical principles of movement that support ballet technique and theory. (a)

The student will become familiar with the evolution and history of
classical ballet as a theatrical dance form. (a,c)

The student will develop a general knowledge of ballet
terminology. (a)

BASIC INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN AND METHODS

Class consists of lecture
demonstration, pre-warm up, barre work, center work, and across the floor sequences.Videos of U.S. and European ballets will be
viewed, discussed, and critiqued.Video will
also be used to record student progress and provide feedback on technique and expression
as well as documenting student creative projects.

Course Outline

I.Class Structure will include: (a)

a.Pre-warm up

b.Barre work: including an introduction to the
five positions of the feet, port de bras, demi-plie, tendu, degage, round de jambe a
terre, frappe, developpe, grand battement, stretches, alignment

1.Would
this course or program be taught with existing staff or with new or additional staff?If this course would be taught by adjunct faculty,
include a rationale.

This course will
be taught with existing staff, including adjunct faculty.The Dance Minor program has one full-time faculty member and historically has
depended on adjunct faculty to meet the needs of the program.Although WSU is currently experiencing a hiring
freeze, the CLA dean has committed necessary adjunct money to maintain the Dance Minor
program.

2.What
impact would approval of this course/program have on current course offerings?Please discuss number of sections of current
offerings, dropping of courses, etc.

Since this class is currently being offered under a PER course
number, approval of this course in THAD will enable us to maintain the Dance Minor at its
current level and support the Fine Arts Requirement for the University Studies program.

When the PER Department revised its curriculum in Fall of 2002,
they decided to drop dance technique classes and their involvement in the shared Dance
Minor program, and offered these courses to the THAD Department.

Ballet I classes are taught two or three times each semester.

Since this course has existed in the Dance Minor program for years
as a PER course, transference of the course to the THAD Department will have no impact on
current offerings.

3.What
effect would approval of this course/program have on the department supplies?Include data to support expenditures for staffing,
equipment, supplies, instructional resources, etc.

Approval will
have no effect on department supplies.The
Department of Theatre and Dance within the College of Liberal Arts has supported the
administration of the Dance Minor program for years, and has provided equipment and
supplies.A portion of the full-time THAD
dance faculty members load has been dedicated to teaching PER dance classes, and CLA
has covered PER dance adjunct salaries.Bringing
the dance courses into the Department of Theatre and Dance will have a positive effect in
that there will be greater efficiency in the Dance Minor program being contained within
one department (THAD) and one college (Liberal Arts).